CoinStrick battery question

[Tony N (Michigan)]

Do most of you guys/gals use rechargeable 9v batteries?

If so, how long do they last in the C$?

I have a couple Maha 9v 200mAh rechargeables and need to know if two will do me for a day long detecting of will I need a couple more?

 

[Tom E IL]

This is from the Coin Strike web page,I did not write this. Tony check out the Coin Strike home page,it can give you good info, remember
'If you dont know and you dont ask you will never know'




From the Home page.

Not all rechargeables are alike. I would not recommend NiCads. They have too many problems, like memory. I would recommend Nickel Metal Hydride types. Each detector pulls a different rate of amps so life span varies.

NiMH batteries:

I use exclusively the 9 volt Varta 150 mAh. I got these for about $1 on ebay new. They work great and NiMH have no memory problems. You do not have to run them all the way down like Nicads. They do test at 9 volts fully charged. NiMH come in slow and fast charge types. Match the charger to the type or else. NiMH chargers are not like NiCad chargers. They typically have a timer to shut them off. These "9 volt" batteries come in a range of voltages and are listed as 8.4 volt, 9 volt, 9.4 volt and even 9.6 volt. Like Nicads they are internally composed of 1.2 volt cells. So they really ought to be 8.4 v or 9.6 v. Some folks rant and rave about 9.6 volt being such a deal because they start out higher. I don't think this is such a big deal. Most electronic devices have internal voltage regulators and step down or restrict the maximum voltage anyway. I bet the Fisher CS does too. If we knew the precise cut off the CS voltage regulator uses then I would agree the voltage might make more of a difference. The real difference in duration is the mAh (milliamp hour) rating. Watts=Volts X Amps. It's all about Watts folks. Based on a well charged and properly burnt in battery, my 150 mAh ones run 5 to 13 hours on the CS using the speaker. If you use the light expect more like 5. I simply carry the spares in my pocket or switch them over at lunch when I have the time. I spent $4 for all the batteries I will need for the next 10+ years! NiMH batteries go up as high as 260 mAh. The greater the mAh the more the cost. Fast charge often costs more than slow charge too. Everyready & RayOvac make slow chargers that do 2 batteries for under $20. Chargers also come in car models or combo models. Remember you need a 2 battery charger. To see a listing of the very hottest 9 volt batteries on the planet click here. I'd imagine you could find these same batteries cheaper somewhere, but this is the best comparison I know of. They sell the matching chargers too. The iPower 260 mAh are the current champs.

Note: Make sure you burn them in charging and discharging them fully five times. If you get 2 sets of batteries then rotate the ones you start out with each time. Always do a fresh charge the day before use.

hh

-=john=-

 

[vw242]

I also use the NiMh 200mah batteries. They seem to last about 3hr depending on how often I use the pinpoint function.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

I guess that pin point function is a real power hog?

Good thing I have a 9v car charger that can be charging while I'm detecting.

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

n/t

 

[mtdoramike]

thats why I don't use rechargables, they don't last very long and when they go down, they go down quickly. I can have a good set of coppertops and even when they start getting a little weak, I still have a couple hours of huntin left.

 

[-=john=-LexKy]

Hi,

if your batteries only last three hours on a CS then most likely something is wrong with them. If you are using headphones then it's possible that it has to do with the level and ohms of the headphones but I doubt it.

A well burnt in set of 200 mah 9 volts should run all day. I ran my 150 mah ones yesterday for 8 straight hours and never had to replace them.
There is no reason to waste money and polute the environment with disposable batteries when fine NiMH batteries are available.

The only reason I can see to use Alkaline batteries is for a emergency detector that sets in the trunk all the time with battereies in it. Alkalines have exceptional shelf life.

As indicated here already, check out my Coinstriek Homepage re. batteries.

http:// home.insightbb.com/~johnhetti/coinstrike/nimh.htm
http://home.insightbb.com/~johnhetti/coinstrike/nimh.htm

hh

-=john=-

 

[Tony N (Michigan)]

But Mike,
Let's say you use 40 batteries in one year. How much would that cost you? Maybe $80 to $160.00 per year?

It would cost me $20.00 for not just one year but figure 1000 charges saving me many many years of not having to buy batteries.

 

[vw242]

I was pinpointing alot of targets in that 3hr timeframe.

 

[mtdoramike]

they tend to build up a memory, I used them in my digital camera for a short time and it got to where I had to constantly charge them. No, I hunt probably 8 hours a week and can get 2 or 3 weeks from a set of batteries depending on how much I hunt. I spend about $4.00 for a set of coppertops. But what gets expensive is, I have 4 other machines that also use 9volt batteries. If I want to swicth off with a different detector, I have to put batteries in it and since I don't store a detector with batteries in it, I have to take them out and they might only have been used 4-5 hours. I won't keep them once they have been used even slightly used so I throw them out. Now that can get expensive.

To each his own, but I have never found rechargables that could replace regular batteries. I actually liked the old CZ7 setup it held like 12 or so batteries in the armcuff and you could get 90 hour hunts out of them, man the good old days.